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Odd, isn't it? Even J.P. Ricciardi admits that since he's been the general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, when he wants to get one of his players signed to a long-term contract, it usually gets done.

Eric Hinske. Vernon Wells and Roy Halladay — twice each. That's in addition to the free agents Ricciardi has signed. Yet not only have negotiations on Alex Rios's reported six-year, $65-million contract (all currency U.S.) dragged on — the paperwork as of yesterday still hadn't made it to the sausage machine that is the Rogers Communications accountants — but negotiations on an extension for Aaron Hill were stillborn.

Ricciardi said on Monday that the door was still open for Hill to get a deal done. But Hill sure doesn't think so.

Not that he cares.

"It was a learning process for both of us," Hill said yesterday before going 1-for-4 and finding himself in the middle of a tough seventh inning in the field in which the New York Yankees scored the go-ahead run in a 3-2 win. "It was exciting to talk because they respect and like what I do. There's no hard feelings. It is what it is.

"We shut it down a couple of days ago because we didn't want it to cut in on the season. That's what we told them [the Blue Jays]. But who knows if it ever really gets shut down?"

Hill had a gap-double last night and was robbed of extra bases by Melky Cabrera's diving catch to end the fourth inning. But it was two grounders in the seventh that had him and shortstop David Eckstein huddled over the videotape machine in the clubhouse and chatting in the shower.

Eckstein, whose harem-scarem play in the field might prove a little too entertaining at times, cut in front of Hill to field a bouncer off the bat of Robinson Cano, with Jason Giambi going to second base. Hill might have had a shot at the double play — certainly, as a Gold Glove-calibre defender, you'd like his chances better than Eckstein — but as it was the shortstop settled for tagging Giambi.

After an intentional walk to Jorge Posada, Hill couldn't come up with Hideki Matsui's cue-ball shot. A run scored, and Hill settled for another out at second base. For ace Roy Halladay, it was like death by a thousand pinpricks. Of these things are Yankees victories built.

Eckstein had a brutal spring and his opening day was no great shakes, either. Twice with a man on third base, he couldn't get the ball out of the infield (what is the shelf life on grit, anyhow?). Hill was asked whether maybe the play was a sign that he and Eckstein still need to develop familiarity.

"It [the play with Eckstein] was one of those things that might not happen again," Hill said. "No way I'm going to call him off on that play, not when he's coming across. But that's a tough situation this early."

What doesn't appear to be a "tough situation" is Hill's contractual status. The Blue Jays say there's no mystery why negotiations with Hill didn't get past what one club source said was a "theoretical" or "philosophical" stage.

When Wells and Hinske were signed to their multiyear deals, they'd both had only a little more than a year of service time. There was still a "blue-sky" element to both sides' approach. Hill, though, has 2 years 138 days, hitting .291 in back-to-back years, with 17 home runs and 78 runs batted in in 2007 and six homers and 50 RBIs in 2006. He hit .274 in 105 games in 2005, with three homers and 40 RBIs. The difference in his power numbers in the past two years makes it difficult to agree on a dollar figure for next year, which would be his first year of arbitration.

Hill expects to be paid like a 20-to-30-homer second baseman. The Blue Jays, well, they may not see him that way, yet. In other words, Hill's 2008 will dictate the dollar figures he will make in a multiyear contract that both sides seem to think will be a gimme next winter.

"I got together with my agents and looked at the market, decided what the low end and the high end would be and what a fair market would be," said Hill, who to his credit seems to have been completely engaged in the process.

"You know, it was fun. It was the first bite at the apple for me, and you want to do it right, but at the end of the day, it's like I didn't pick up a bat when I was two years old to become the richest baseball player ever. I did it because I wanted to become a major-leaguer.

"What we had was a little difference of opinion, but we were really not that far off. They still said, 'You're still our guy.' I know that."